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Under contract to Geiger Brothers, Caudill Chipping used state-of-the-art feller bunchers on the OSWDF project. These implements have a vertical grapple that holds each tree in place while a circular saw cuts through the trunk. This photo shows a John Deere 959 tracked feller buncher — which can cut tree trunks 40 inches in diameter and was the larger of two on the job — cutting down the first tree on the 215-acre clearing site.

The project required removal of trees and vegetation covering approximately 215 acres. Work began in early November 2015 and was completed mid-February 2016. The task was completed incorporating nearly 9,000 safe contractor personnel hours without incident.

The Site Clearing was done to prepare for a future On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF) for the D&D project. The location lies within the DOE property in an area consisting of open and forested land.

Skidders with grapples moved logs to a horizontal chipper. While most of the timber was chipped directly into trailers for boiler fuel, some pieces were measured on a sawbuck and automatically cut to length for transport to saw mills.

Geiger Brothers was responsible for project management and directly for chipping and grinding of undergrowth and scattered trees and saplings up to four (4) inches in diameter using mobile forestry equipment; clearing of non-forested grassland, grubbing within a 30-foot wide strip to allow for future perimeter fence installation; installation, inspection and maintenance of erosion and sedimentation control devices; and temporary and permanent seeding. Under a contract modification, Geiger Brothers is continuing erosion control maintenance following basic project completion.

Extensive planning was required to decide on the location of landings, haul roads, stream crossings, and skid trails as well as which Ohio Department of Natural Resources “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) were best suited for use. Prior to the start, erosion and sediment controls such as check and filter dams were placed in critical areas. Personnel from Geiger Brothers installed additional erosion and sediment controls as phased clearing proceeded using BMPs such as silt fence or filter-sock (a fabric tube filled with mulch to control run-off) and removing stumps along the OSWDF perimeter. Areas where ground disturbance occurred were stabilized and revegetated as soon as possible after use to control erosion. Environmentally sensitive areas such as selected streams and wetlands were surveyed and fenced out to prevent disturbance before tree cutting started. A temporary stone boundary put in place prior to the land-clearing project prevented unauthorized access to the potentially hazardous clearing zones.

Geiger Brothers was responsible for construction and maintenance of temporary roadways, parking areas, lay-down areas, landing areas, and storage and work areas, and restoration to pre-construction condition upon demobilization. Geiger Brothers personnel provided dust control measures and for maintenance of traffic in accordance with the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

Geiger Brothers was required to provide a professional surveyor, licensed in the state of Ohio, to survey and stake clearing limits as identified on construction drawings and to determine locations of surface water management and erosion and sediment control measures. For this task, Geiger Brothers engaged Howerton Engineering & Surveying of Portsmouth, Ohio.

In managing the project, Geiger Brothers was responsible for the performance schedule and sequence of work; for coordinating personnel training and reporting; for daily, weekly and monthly reporting and schedule updates; and for a wide range of client submittals including Safety Data Sheets, equipment and instrument data, and inspection plans. Most critically, Geiger Brothers developed and submitted to FBP a Surface Water Management and Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan, a project Site-Specific Work Plan (SSWP), and a comprehensive Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). The environmental plan required submittal of manufacturer’s erosion control device product data and erosion control device inspection reports.

For the major tree clearing on the 215 project site acres, Geiger Brothers engaged subcontractor Corbett R. Caudill Chipping, Inc., based near McArthur, Ohio. Caudill performed the clearing of standing timber above a diameter of 4 inches using specialized industry-specific clearing equipment and logging practices. Trees were removed from the site as chips or as logs.

Fluor-B&W Portsmouth and Geiger Brothers had sought a reputable professional local logging company that primarily used mechanized means so as to enhance safety and limit the number of ground personnel and chose Caudill Chipping based on its years of experience and expertise in logging. The company had participated in ODNR development of Best Management Practices for logging, including how to handle erosion and sediment control during operations. The company has twice been featured in “Timber Harvesting” magazine as “Logging Business of the Year.” The company is a member of the Ohio Forestry Association and three of its employees have achieved Master Certified Logger designation.

Caudill Chipping used using state-of-the-art feller bunchers to hold and cut the trees. Trees intended for the chipper were dragged to a stabilized landing area where the portable chipper was located. Grapple loaders fed the trees into the chipper which then dispensed the chips into trailers. Some few logs were measured on a sawbuck and automatically cut to length. Stumps were left in place and will be subjected to grubbing just prior to OSWDF earthwork activities so as to control erosion in the interim.

Upon OSWDF Site Clearing project completion, the achieved desired end-state was for the 215 acres to be clear-cut with trees and brush removed and to achieve its readiness for construction of the waste disposal cell and support area. “This was a project characterized by utmost safety, compliance and efficiency,” said Geiger Brothers CEO and Project Manager Scott Massie, “made possible by full communication and successful coordination between Geiger Brothers, its subcontractor Caudill Chipping, and its client Fluor-B&W Portsmouth.”

Geiger Brothers has received Certificate of Authorization from the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors to perform metallic repairs and alterations of boilers, pressure vessels and other pressure-retaining items.

The “R” symbol stamp is a triennial endorsement on loan from the National Board, to be used within the scope and limitations under which it was issued. The “R” Stamp is required for all welding repairs performed on pressure vessels, defined as any tank or vessel designed for operation above 15 psig. Organizations may be authorized to perform repairs only or both repairs and alterations, metallic and/or non-metallic, in shop or field or in both.

The “R” Certificate allows Geiger Brothers to perform metallic only repairs and alteration to a variety of non-fired pressure tanks and vessels both in its Fabrication Shop and on field projects and to apply the “R” Symbol stamp to work completed.

The nature of pressure systems merits stringent controls over those performing repairs and alterations. Qualifying for an “R” Stamp required Geiger Brothers to outline all procedures and demonstrate competence performing actual repairs.

Geiger Brothers first was required to have and maintain agreement with an Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA) and chose HSB Global Standards, based in Hartford, Connecticut.

Certification then required that Geiger Brothers develop a stamp work-specific written quality system that complies with the requirements of the current edition of the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC). Geiger Brothers must maintain the current edition of all three parts of the NBIC and have available a copy of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code of construction appropriate for the intended scope of work.

The quality system, facilities and welding personnel qualifications then were subject to audit (referred to as a Joint Review) by a representative of the National Board and agents of the inspection agency.

The Geiger Brothers quality system shall provide for constant control of the certification and the “R” Symbol Stamp. Each repair or alteration must be documented thoroughly and related documents kept on file. The certificate is valid for three years, at which time Geiger Brothers will be subject to verification again by audit that compliance is being maintained and the Certificate of Authorization may be retained.

The new Murphy Tractor & Equipment Company center near Jackson officially opened October 22 at the intersection of State Route 32 and Mayhew Road near Jackson. Finishing touches recently included mounting and lighting of building exterior signage.

Geiger Brothers, Inc., was the design-build contractor for this new sales, service, and parts facility. The complex includes a 12,000 square foot building for offices, the sales floor and the parts department and a 9,000-square-foot service area. The service area features include four large drive-through full maintenance bays, two 10-ton overhead cranes, and an interior wash bay. The site also includes a two-acre stone equipment lot.

Founded in 1982, Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co., Inc. is one of John Deere’s largest North American construction and forestry equipment dealer organizations. Headquartered in Park City, Kansas, Murphy has 28 locations in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Murphy moved to Jackson from its previous site near Chillicothe, which is no longer in operation. The Jackson location employs nearly 20 including management, sales and parts personnel, and service technicians. John Deere products offered at the new facility include bulldozers, backhoe loaders, excavators, skid steers, wheel loaders, forestry crawlers, loaders, harvesters and more.

Geiger Brothers has completed replacement of the pedestrian bridge on the Chillicothe campus of Ohio University.

While the project was completed in August and the structure has been in use, campus administrators and Chillicothe city officials led a ribbon-cutting ceremony October 7 to officially “open” the new Shoemaker Center bridge to pedestrian traffic.

The new bridge connects the Shoemaker Center with upper-level parking lots on the Ohio University-Chillicothe campus and replaces the original bridge, built in 1979, that had degraded such that replacement was crucial.

Shoemaker Center, in addition to daily campus-related functions, is heavily used by the Chillicothe community for its walking track, attendance at OU-C men’s and women’s basketball games, various expositions and special events. The parking lot served by the pedestrian bridge provides easy access to the center for those activities.

Geiger Brothers began work last winter with demolition of the current bridge. The base of the new span is foundations setting on auger cast piles poured to bedrock and then precast prestressed steel beams set on the new abutments.

The structural steel and glass serve both aesthetics and as functional safety containment. The 70-foot-long span also includes a steel covering and roof to protect individuals from the elements and reduce the need for deicing. The laminated glass panels are digitally printed with the campus name and logo.

The bridge is visible from various locations throughout the site. The goal of campus officials was a highly functional span that will serve as a landmark and appealing focal point on campus.

Geiger Brothers prepared and implemented a comprehensive Site Logistics Plan to ensure Shoemaker Center remained fully accessible during the work with normal operations in classrooms, offices, and the gym and wellness facilities.

Geiger Brothers has completed work to renovate the West Virginia Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Complex in Charleston.

Under contract to the West Virginia General Services Division, Geiger Brothers performed stone and bronze restoration, waterproofing, masonry and paving stone work, and hand rail and lighting replacements. Plumbing repairs included replacement of reflecting pool pumps, filters and other system equipment.

An architectural and engineering review in 2013 had found electrical and drainage issues, cracked paving stones and failing joints.

Designed by West Virginia sculptor P. Joseph Mullins, the memorial has four limestone monoliths surrounded by a reflecting pool. Black granite covering the inside walls is etched with the names of more than 10,000 West Virginians who have died in 20th century wars. The outside walls feature four statues that represent each military branch and major war.

As the Design-Build contractor for pedestrian bridge improvements on the Chillicothe campus of Ohio University, Geiger Brothers has started direct construction work by demolition of the current bridge that leads from the upper parking lot of the campus to the upper level of Shoemaker Center.

Geiger Brothers will build a new covered pedestrian bridge. The scheduled completion is early May 2015.

Inspectors found the current bridge had degraded such that replacement was crucial. The bridge was original to building construction in 1979. Reinforcements were installed in 2005. Inspectors recently removed the existing soffit system and completely exposed the existing framing, and required temporary blocking and shoring for continued pedestrian use.

Campus officials say the project will result in a highly functional span that will serve as a landmark and focal point on campus. The bridge is visible from all directions, and new architecture and other features will complement the look of the rest of the campus.

The new bridge is one element of renovations under way on the OU-C campus to support current operations and to position the campus for its mission in the years to come.

As the Design-Build contractor, Geiger Brothers is responsible for developing and maintaining estimates of probable construction cost, value engineering and schedules; for leading and managing the schematic design, design development, and subcontractor prequalification and bidding process; and for the construction documents and closeout stages. Geiger Brothers provided several different schemes for the pedestrian bridge replacement, submitted alternates for the covered walkway, and designed a temporary stairway from the second floor to existing grade.

Shoemaker Center, in addition to daily campus-related functions, is heavily used by the Chillicothe community for its walking track, attendance at OU-C men’s and women’s basketball games, various expositions and special events. The parking lot served by the pedestrian bridge provides easy access to the center for those activities.

The project will impact campus traffic driving patterns and access to the Shoemaker Center from the parking lot. The lower road and access to the bridge from the upper level also are blocked.

Geiger Brothers prepared and implemented a Site Logistics Plan to manage on-site work, construction site access and material staging, road closure barricades and temporary student egress. The plan accounts for control of personnel, equipment and materials, with consideration for working relationships among all participants in the project – OU-C faculty, staff and students; Geiger Brothers personnel; and all subcontractors and suppliers of services and products.

As such, Shoemaker Center will remain fully functional during the work with normal operations for classrooms, offices, and the gym and wellness facilities.

Geiger Brothers has started additions and renovations of the old Beverly Hills Middle School in Huntington, West Virginia, as it transitions to a new Cabell County Incubator School.

The new incubator school will consolidate Peyton Elementary and Geneva Kent Elementary in the east end of Huntington. The former Beverly Hills Middle School facility had been vacated in December 2013 upon completion of a new Huntington East Middle School.

Renovation of the Beverly Hills building is expected to be completed in the late winter of 2015, with consolidated elementary students reporting for school there upon return from Christmas break at the beginning of 2016.

Under its contract with the Cabell County Board of Education, Geiger Brothers is responsible for building retaining walls; widening roads and enlarging parking areas; concrete foundations and slab-on-grade for new additions; a new addition for extending the cafeteria; a new addition for a stairwell connected to the existing building; renovation of the existing building (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, concrete patching, glazing, masonry, walls, ceilings, floors and cabinetry); specialties such as restroom accessories (dryers, dispensers, mirrors, signs) and metal lockers; doors, frames and hardware; finish paving and artificial turf.

Cabell County School officials describe the new school as an “incubator” based upon its experimental approach into the expeditionary learning model that inspires and empowers teachers to unleash the potential of their students. Officials expect the new school – the first in the state – to be an example for others to use in developing similar expeditionary learning environments.

Geiger Brothers has started the process of transition of an existing middle school to the new Cabell County elementary incubator school by clearing and grubbing to provide space for new retaining walls and to extend parking areas in the north corners of the site.

Expeditionary learning is characterized by fewer lectures and high levels of student engagement. Content standards are embedded into expeditions which help students learn through hands-on experience. For example, long-term student projects in different subject areas may include participation in water analyses, community building safety assessments and environmental studies, and then providing reports of results to agencies of responsibility.